


Worth

by MrProphet



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 16:09:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10700472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrProphet/pseuds/MrProphet





	Worth

They faced him in rows, the followers of the Old Religion. At the back, misty and indistinct, were the dead: Nimue, Alvar, Tauren, Aulfric and Sophia, and others. Most of them he had never met, but he knew them all the same; he knew who – and what – they were. Closer and more solid were those who yet lived, and foremost among them the three: Mordred, Morgause and Morgana.

“What is this?” Merlin demanded.

“This is Uther Pendragon's legacy,” Morgause replied.

“This is the burden that Arthur will inherit, Emrys,” Mordred added, his lips unmoving.

“Unless you and he act to remove the stain,” Morgana finished. “If magic is every to prosper again, if the Old Religion is to be free, Uther Pendragon must die.”

Merlin tried to back away, but the crowd followed him. “You are a magician,” Morgana reminded him. 

“A sorcerer of rare power,” Morgause agreed.

“Yet you fight against your own kind.” Mordred's words entered his head along with an image of the attack on the Druid camp.

“Return to your true allegiance,” Morgana begged. “You claim to support Arthur, then support Arthur; make him King.”

“By killing Uther?” Merlin demanded.

“Why not?”

“You've killed before,” Morgause insisted. “You killed Nimue, the champion of our faith, persecuted because Uther would not bear responsibility for his own actions. I showed Arthur the truth and you saved the tyrant's life with lies!”

“Arthur is the future!” Merlin insisted. “Arthur couldn't live with himself if he went through with it.”

“Arthur is the future?” Morgana laughed. “Arthur is a boor and a braggart! You know that better than anyone, and yet you are willing to kill and die for him. Is he worth it? Is he worth all this?”

Merlin looked around at the horde of restless spirits. “No,” he admitted. “Nothing is worth this, but he  _is_  worth protecting.”

“Then kill Uther!”

“You had the chance to do it once,” Merlin reminded Morgana. “You let him live.”

"I was a fool!” she hissed.

“You knew that vengeance begets vengeance,” Merlin responded. “If Uther dies in the name of the Old Religion, Arthur will become every inch the tyrant his father is. If Arthur's golden age is to come, it must come in its own time.”

“A golden age predicted by a dragon who hates Uther!” Morgana snapped. “Can you really be so foolish as to still believe in him?”

“I still believe in Arthur,” Merlin replied.

Morgana's face distorted in fury and the horde of sorcerers and druids howled with a single voice. The force of their cry thrust him backwards and he threw up his hands to guard his face.

“I believe in Arthur!” he cried. “I believe in Arthur! I...!”

*

Merlin woke with a start as a pillow struck his head. The camp fire was burning low and he could barely make out Arthur's shape on the far side.

“Much as I appreciate your informing the entire forest that you believe in me, Merlin,” Arthur muttered tiredly, “I would rather get some sleep.”

“Right,” Merlin agreed. “Yes.” he lay back and tried to will himself back to sleep, trying to shrug off the horror of the dream.

“Merlin!” Arthur snapped impatiently.

“Yes?”

“Pillow!”


End file.
